Charles W Ross

Ditty and Bootsie Charles W Ross

They say that when a person creates art, composes poems and writes short stories these instruments open a portal into that imaginative person's soul. This book, "Ditty and Bootsie" show cases the art, poems and short stories created by Betty Ross during her lifetime. Betty displayed her creative vision of the world using oils, pastels and watercolor to create lovely images. She was in love with vivid colors and subtle shades. Often she would say, "With every subject matter I choose to portray, either still life, landscapes or flowers, I am first attracted to the colors of the various shapes and then to the interplay between color and design." Betty Ross was many things to her children, her husband, her friends, her clients, and her patients. She was a compassionate mother, a loving wife, a loyal friend, an active listener and a caring therapist. When she was bored and needed a project she founded the Academy for Lifetime Learning [ALL] at the Eastern Shore Community College, Melfa, VA. She served as President and Board member of the Arts Council of the Eastern Shore, Onancock, VA. She was the author of children's books. She loved games. As a result she was an avid Bridge player, and played an intense game of Mahjong. Betty studied technique and concepts with Barkley Sheaks, Thelma Peterson and Joe Adams. Each of these professional artists has contributed to developing her style. She was also influenced by masters such as; Matisse, Bonnard and Singer-Sargent. She exhibited and sold her art work at the Eastern Shore Country Club, Melfa, VA; the Stage Door Gallery, Cape Charles, VA; the Barrier Island Museum, Machapongo, VA; the Blue Skies Gallery, Hamption, VA and at the Eastern Shore Art League Gallery, Onancock, VA. In this volume, interspersed among her many pieces of wall art, are her poems and short stories that expose her experiences and insights into the joys and sadness that filled the lives of those who were around her. This is a book that the reader will enjoy reading over and over as it reveals the life and times of such a creative, sensitive individual as Betty Ross.